Second opinions are beneficial in law

If a lawyer is unwilling to take on your personal injury case, seeking a second opinion is always a good idea, says Toronto personal injury lawyer Kevin Doan.

“The cost of a second opinion is free, other than your own effort and time to seek out a competent injury lawyer,” says Doan, associate with Carranza LLP.

“It should be noted that even the board-certified specialists who practise injury law provide free initial consultations. You need a referral from a family doctor to see a medical specialist under the OHIP system. The good thing about the personal injury law field is that you can see many certified specialists in personal injury for free. This is an achievement for access to justice for injury victims, I would add.”

Doan responded to the question as part of a new Ask a Lawyer feature offered by Carranza LLP, where individuals are encouraged to submit relevant questions to be answered by lawyers at the firm.

“One lawyer may decline a case, but another may be willing to take up the case for various reasons,” says Doan. “A willing lawyer may see a winning case because of prior experience in dealing with a unique medical or causation issue, or an additional angle to establish liability on potential defendants, while an unwilling lawyer may be less experienced or is simply too busy with his or her caseload.”